Starting Out

[Billy]

Hello I'm Billy and I'm from the Nottighamshire area. I was just wondering what it takes to get into Motorsport as a driver and which routes to try and take. I am 18, which is quite late to start up.

Because of my age I've read to not bother with Karting, and go straight for car racing. Im not really aiming for formula 1 because I know that is ultra unrealistic. I have no past racing experience but I do drive and own a car.

I've looking into different things but my main interest is Touring Cars, and was wondering how to get onto the motorsports ladder for that sort of thing.

I've looked at getting the National B licence and at racing school. What would your advice be to me?

Also what would the best racing school be for my area and best price? Should I get my National B before anything else?

Thanks for your time.

Edit - I am also in the process to trying to get a mechanics apprenticeship, which should help out in the future.

[Mark]

It sounds like you have your head screwed on and are approaching things from a sensible direction. Your main problem is that very very few people make any money from being a racing driver. The vast majority fund it from their or their families business interests.

[Billy]

Thanks for your reply. I am planning on doing it as a 'hobby' along side a job that funds it, as I am aware that even some BTCC drivers make no money from it.

I will only have a small budget to start with, so nothing special, maybe club racing or something? But at the moment I want to focus on learning and gaining valuable experience.

[MrJan]

If you want to go in at a real budget level then try starting out with speed events (hillclimbs and sprints). For that you just need a car (pretty much any car will do), a helmet (about £150 for a new V2 helmet, which is quite popular) and then some fireproof overalls (not proban) which you can either buy new (about £200 when I got mine) or get off eBay. You'll also need fireproof gloves but be careful buying them on eBay as there are a lot of ripoffs that claim to be fireproof (even down to having a label with FIA####) but aren't. If you get new from Demon Tweeks/Merlin/GP Racewear then you're looking at about £45 IIRC.

The advantage of speed events is that:
a)You can do it on a non-race Nat B license so don't need to put the money into doing your ARDS etc.
b)The standard of prep on the car is much lower, many use their everyday road car.
c)It gives you a good idea of how to drive at flat out (although I've rarely actually driven at 100%, that's when things go wrong).
d)The only idiot that's going to damage the car is the one behind the wheel!

I'm afraid that I can't help with what's around your area as I'm in the South West. However the best way to find out is join a local motor club (Home | Go Motorsport (http://www.gomotorsport.net/) has a big list, as well as other great advice for getting involved). Make sure that the club you join is reasonably active, and preferably in your discipline (there's no point joining a motor club and then finding out that they do autotests and rallies if that's not what you want to do). The best way to see if a motor club is active is just to look at who's organising events in your area and then going along and talking to people.

If you want to start out at an even cheaper level then you can marshall or enter autosolos for even less than sprinting/hillclimbing, although the number of clubs running autosolos is still quite limited.

[Billy]

Thank you for your detailed reply, il check them out.

The main problem for me at the moment is the car I'm driving is only a 1.1 because of the ridiculous price of insurance for my age, meaning using my own car would be a slight problem. My next car should be a 1.6, but not be getting it for another year (and that's only if 2 years no claims is enough).

[MrJan]

Thank you for your detailed reply, il check them out.

The main problem for me at the moment is the car I'm driving is only a 1.1 because of the ridiculous price of insurance for my age, meaning using my own car would be a slight problem. My next car should be a 1.6, but not be getting it for another year (and that's only if 2 years no claims is enough).

Don't get too hung up on what you're driving, as long as you're having fun it really isn't a problem at the base level in sprinting. There's a bloke round here that uses a Lupo TDi and I've even seen a guy turn up in a Kia Pride that he paid £500 for. I drive a Caterham type kitcar with a 1300 Ford engine that (even with Dellorto carbs and having been set up on a rolling road) only has about 75-80bhp. Despite that I was still quicker at the weekend than a guy in a similar type car that had a 4.0l Rover V8 engine with a turbo (road legal as well!!) that was kicking out about 350bhp, simply because the driver was **** scared!

This is a link for the results from the sprint I did on Sunday (at a kart track). It gives you a good idea of the types of car that enter (pretty much anything really) http://www.swtimekeeping.co.uk/Documents/SwtResultsFor121007.pdf

[Billy]

I'm looking into hill climbs and sprints at the moment and they look very interesting. So do you think using my 1.1 would be acceptable then?

Also, it says you need a 'non-racing' national B licence, but if I had a racing one would it still be accepted? Or do I definitely need the non racing one?

I managed to stumble across the Nottingham club and they have loads of events like this. Very interesting stuff, and looks a lot of fun for a decent price (between £75 and £100 depending on venue).

[Mark]

1.1 would be fine and probably decent t start out with.

[driveace]

Think you two guys have given him some good advice there .And even with a 1.1 engine car ,he will be competing with people with the same class of car

[MrJan]

I'm looking into hill climbs and sprints at the moment and they look very interesting. So do you think using my 1.1 would be acceptable then?

Also, it says you need a 'non-racing' national B licence, but if I had a racing one would it still be accepted? Or do I definitely need the non racing one?

I managed to stumble across the Nottingham club and they have loads of events like this. Very interesting stuff, and looks a lot of fun for a decent price (between £75 and £100 depending on venue).

For at least your first season (and until you can afford a car that's elligible to go circuit racing) I'd recommend sticking to sprints and just getting a non-race license...if only because it's so much cheaper. Going circuit racing is quite involved and it would be a good idea to familiarise yourself with competing in the first instance. A Nat B license should be fine but there really isn't much point doing your ARDS yet if you aren't going to have the cash to get a car+trailer+something to tow it with.

October really isn't the best time to start looking into this as it's right at the end of the season, however try and find out if you've got any events nearby where you are and get along and talk to people, most are really happy to chat and give advice.


As a guide I tend to budget about £100 per event, most of the time it's cheaper but it's worth allowing for fuel and the fact that, at some point, you'll have to buy tyres.

[Billy]

I appreciate all of your comments and advise, I'm seriously going to look into he hill climbs and sprints because of the decent price and the fact i can be competitive in my own car :D

So can a racing B licence be used on these events or does it have to be a non racing one? Because if I can use a racing one I could just get that, ready for when I do enter races in the future. Saves money coz I wouldn't need both!

Edit - you commented just before me MrJan, I see your point about not taking the ARDS test yet, I was just planning far ahead (maybe too far) and getting the racing one ready lol.

And about the tyres, I have a set of alloys on at the moment, but for the events I could put my steelies back on, which are a lot smaller (got 15" 7J wheels on a Peugeot 106!) and the tyres will be cheaper, plus I have a spare tyre for the standard ones.

[MrJan]

So can a racing B licence be used on these events or does it have to be a non racing one? Because if I can use a racing one I could just get that, ready for when I do enter races in the future. Saves money coz I wouldn't need both!

Edit - you commented just before me MrJan, I see your point about not taking the ARDS test yet, I was just planning far ahead (maybe too far) and getting the racing one ready lol.

And about the tyres, I have a set of alloys on at the moment, but for the events I could put my steelies back on, which are a lot smaller (got 15" 7J wheels on a Peugeot 106!) and the tyres will be cheaper, plus I have a spare tyre for the standard ones.

I forgot to mention that you have to renew your MSA license every year (although obviously once you've done your ARDS then you don't do it again to renew), that's why starting out with the non-race makes sense :)

Spare set makes good sense, that way you can get a nice soft set, however you'll have to bear in mind that they need to be selected from a certain list. It's all in the MSA Blue Book which is available digitally on the MSA website and you get a copy with your license (btw the MSA is the Motor Sports Association and they run motorsport in the UK).

[Billy]

Thanks, I suppose the non race one does make more sense at the moment because of having to pay to renew anyway.

Im looking into a car club nearby at the moment (who do sprints and hill climbs), and I'm gonna take all your advice and chat to people and get more information about them and their events. Il more than likely start next season so I have time to prepare things like tyres and save up money for the events (or even repairs if my car breaks).